Stretch Marks!

You've just completed your bulking cycle. You gained 20 pounds during thistime. You gained a good amount of muscle, which you are happy about.

You've just completed your bulking cycle. You gained 20 pounds during this time. You gained a good amount of muscle, which you are happy about. You start flexing in the mirror, when you notice a purplish eye sore. Multiple eye sores for that matter. These purplish scars you see are stretch marks!

As bodybuilders, we are trying to create a beautiful, well sculpted body. Imperfect scars are the last thing we want to see. To some, these are "badges of honor". But, if you're like me, you would rather not have them. In this article, we are going to discuss, what exactly stretch marks are, the reasons people get them, and possible ways to treat them.

The Skin

The human body's skin is composed of three layers. The top layer of skin is called the Epidermis. The main function of this layer is to keep toxins from entering the body.

The second layer of skin is called the Dermis. The Dermis is responsible for producing collagen and elastic fibers, which give our skin that smooth look. This is the layer where stretch marks occur.

The third layer of skin is called the Hypodermis. This layer is made up of fat and connective tissues.

What are Stretch Marks?

Stretch marks, also known as stria atrophica and striae distensae, are tears in the dermis. Stretch marks are often falsely classified as scars, though they are not. "... they are not scars because they are not comprised of fibrotic tissue. Instead, stretch marks represent a flattened, thin epidermis overlying gaps in the dermis left by stretched or torn elastin fibers."(1)

Our skin has elastic properties, but growing too fast can "overstretch" the skin's elastic limit. A good way to illustrate this is with a sock. Most socks have elastic in them, so they tightly form around your ankle. This elastic is stretched when we put on and take off the sock.

After time, and wear, the sock's elastic becomes overstretched and no longer fits tightly on out ankles. It looks pretty stupid when you're wearing shorts and your socks are hanging off your ankles. This goes the same for stretch marks. When the skin is overstretched, it loses its elastic property and its connective fibers break, which creates a stretch mark.

Stretch Mark Coloring

The skin tone determines what color your stretch marks will be. The usually start as pink, reddish brown, or dark brown lines. The stretch marks could turn to red, dark red, or a purplish shade. As time goes by, stretch marks do natural fade to a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone. Making them less noticeable.

What Are Some Causes of Stretch Marks

Rapidly gaining weight (Bulking cycle)

Puberty

Pregnancy

Obesity

Heredity

Skin Type

Stress

Poor Diet

Sudden Environmental Change

Ways to Help Prevent Stretch Marks

A Balanced Diet - Drinking water and taking your vitamins can prevent stretch marks.Exercise - Improves CirculationNot Smoking (Which, as bodybuilders, you shouldn't be doing anyways) - Tobacco is known to cause skin to lose its elasticity.

Remedies for Stretch Marks

Most people will tell you that you cannot get rid of stretch marks, but you can improve there appearance. Some common remedies for stretch marks are:

Laser Therapy - Has the possibility to permanently remove stretch marks
Dermabrasion - Removing the superficial part of the skin
Surgical RemovalPeeling - Chemical peels used to try to renew the skin

Prescriptions

Tretinoin Retin-A

These products remove the dead cells from the epidermis and cause the dermis to make more collagen. This can help smoothen out the skin's appearance.

Remedies I Have Tried

Vitamin E - No noticeable change
Cocoa butter - No noticeable change
Fish Oil - No noticeable change
Vitamin E and Fish Oil - No noticeable change
Vitamin E and Cocoa Butter Cream - Applying now
Mederma - Mederma is a product that is supposed to get rid of scars and stretch marks. I applied this product for two months with no results at all.

To All The Bodybuilders Out There

Well, it's almost fall, which means most of us are going to begin bulking. One way we can reduce the risk of getting or worsening stretch marks is to bulk clean. This will reduce the amount of fat we put on, and the extra unwanted stretch to out dermis.

Another way that we can help prevent stretch marks is by supplementing with ZMA. Zinc promotes the production of collagen. By increasing the production of collagen, our skin can keep its elasticity. It's important to take care of our bodies, especially are skin. You can always buy new socks, but you can't buy new skin. Stay smooth.